Mr Tompkins In Paperback

When I was about twelve years old, on a raining afternoon, I went to visit my aunt in the university library. Back then I loved to visit my aunt at work, because it gave me a chance to duck into the big room with all the books for hours. Somewhere on the shelf I randomly picked up a book, flipped through it, and was instantly transfixed; I remember that moment vividly. I must have stood there read that book for a good hour and just could not put it down. What was so interesting? Well, it was about the adventure of a Bank clerk, Mr. Tompkins, who always somehow stumbles on these modern Physics concepts, with the help of a certain professor and his daughter. On top of that, it was all about relativity, fusion and fission, time travel - things a twelve-year old boy would just die for.

Although not too bright, Mr. Tompkins can dream well. And what dreams he has had! Witnessing a murder in a time-dilated world, playing quantum billiards with friends, or having a conversation with Maxwell's devil. It was absolutely fantastic! I couldn't help being pulled into this weird and crazy trip Mr. Tompkins was having. I remember hearing the rain drops outside, flipping the pages literally quivering with excitement, and totally forgetting about time until my aunt came to fetch me.

Ah, what fun that was! With all the innocence of a twelve-year old boy, I looked at the universe with wonderment.

However, it was a translation that I was reading. I never wrote down the name of the book, nor the author. Over the years I tried to find that book again but never succeeded. I could only remember bits and pieces of what I read, and they are not enough.

And then, out of the blue one day, as I was reading Wrinkles in Time, the author talked about an outstanding physics book written by George Gamow, and that many world-renowned physicists named it as the source of their inspiration during interviews. Some included quotes from the book jogged my memory instantly. Could this be my book?! Could it?

I rushed to my computer, ordered it from Amazon, and with breathless anticipation, waited.

And it is my book! So after 20 some years, I am reunited with my favorite physics book. As I read it for the second time, here in America, somehow I am transported to that distant library back in China, and I can almost hear those raindrops in my head.